January 20 1942, The Wannsee Villa, location of the Wannsee Conference

On 20 January, 1942, a meeting took place in the Wannsee Villa to discuss the implementation of the “Final Solution of the Jewish Question” – the annihilation of European Jewry. The meeting was initiated by Reinhard Heydrich, Heinrich Himmler’s deputy and head of the Reich Security Main Office (RSHA). Heydrich invited the state secretaries of the most important German government ministries, who had been designated to participate in the Final Solution’s implementation. The Wannsee Conference was not convened to decide on the Final Solution, but rather to discuss methods of implementation, the decision itself having already been made at an earlier date.

Yad Vashem Photo Archives, 4613/432